Now that I’m posting to my blog regularly, there are regular notices that come through my blogging platform that track my daily posting streak. My notice on October 2:
You’ve posted 11 days in a row on Peter M. Ball! Keep up the good work.
It’s a simple gamification trick, but damn me, it works. Blogging is important enough to me that I want to do it, and there’s been at least one day in the last week where I dragged myself to the computer late in the day just to keep the streak alive and see high I can get the number.
Google “The Seinfeld Method” and you’ll see the idea of streaks as a productivity hack everywhere. I’ve used it before to keep me focused on writing, and I’ve just fired off a fresh streak tracker to ensure I write every day (an unnecessary practice for me when I’m at my best, but useful for me when managing disrupted routines and uncertain periods).
But there’s an interesting thing about gamification: it’s at its most pleasurable when it’s optional, reinforces an identity the user already wants, and ultimately has the most effect in the short term. When carried long term and robbed of its voluntary status, it can quickly become a source of irritation rather than motivation.
Further Reading
- Pew Research: Getting In Gamification – Main Findings
- Lifehacker: Jerry Seinfeld’s Productivity Secret